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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23304838">Nico</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ughdotcom/pseuds/ughdotcom'>ughdotcom</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adopted Children, Attempted Kidnapping, But some characters will be described AOS, Compliant to Either Star Trek TOS or AOS, Don't copy to another site, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Genderfluid Character, Honestly it's a mash of AOS and TOS, Invented alien species, M/M, Maybe more AOS, Multi, Other, POV Third Person</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:26:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,800</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23304838</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ughdotcom/pseuds/ughdotcom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim wants a kid, and so does Spock. This kid just wants a family that accepts xem for who xe is. They're the perfect match.</p><p>Despite having the same self insert alien species as my other work with this fake alien species, they are in no way related despite the fact I love self inserts.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amanda Grayson/Sarek, Christine Chapel/T'Pring/Nyota Uhura, James T. Kirk/Spock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Queem facts:</p><p>- they have purple blood<br/>- they have abnormally sharp canine teeth, and there is a legend that they can be venomous in times of pure terror.<br/>- they have abnorally sharp fingernails.<br/>- biologically, they're very similar to Humans and Vulcans<br/>- they have pointed ears, but not curving up, and insyead going out<br/>- they are touch telepaths<br/>- they don't think that gender and sex correlate, and raise their children genderless, while still teaching them about gender and allowing them to choose their genders.<br/>- they are pacifists, but fighting is a sport using hand to hand and staffs. they will only fight to protect their culture and lives otherwise. they dislike using phasers and guns, and use knives instead<br/>- they have several regions and dialects. In this the language i've made up is ravkan queem, a language that holds a place in the culture similar to english<br/>- Queem bond much more loosely than Vulcans, including platonic bonds.<br/>- the Queem have a salute like Vulcan's, but theirs is like the ASL sign for i love you</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I want a kid.” Jim said one day, tracing small circles on Spock’s hand as they watched a holo idly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We would have to adopt.” Spock replied. “And pass it by Starfleet, as we would have to bring them on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Enterprise</span>
  </em>
  <span> to raise them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s all? It should take about ten days to clear with the ‘fleet and then we’ll be on Queem, a planet with a large foster system. After this trip to Queem we’ll be returning a month later, if the kid we foster doesn’t want us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That seems agreeable. Shall we contact Starfleet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jim smiled and pressed his first two fingers to Spock’s. “Right now, babe?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you wish, ashayam.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Welcome!” the overly nice Queem woman at the front desk said. “Are you looking to adopt?” She gave them the Queem salute, a salute very similar to the american sign language sign for ‘I love you’.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jim returned the salute “Yes. We’re here from Starfleet, and as our ship is due to return in a month, we figured this would be an ideal time to foster a child.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wonderful! Would you have a problem with taking on one of our so-called problem children?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. We were both problem children ourselves.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was no such thing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lies.” he loudly whispered to the lady, who smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am Teresa. The child we're going to meet is going to come off as brash at first, I warn you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am Jim, this is Spock. And brash we can deal with.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excellent. Xe is in the training area.” Teresa led them back into a large arena. On the opposite side a young teenager was fighting an android. Teresa watched them until they raised their staff to use it as a bat. “Nico! That’s not how you use staffs! Were you raised in a barn?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Terra is close enough.” Nico said, lowering the staff. “Who’re these?” xe raised the Queem salute, and noting Spock’s ears she then changed it to the Vulcan one. “Peace and long life.” xe extended xir hand to Jim, who shook it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Live long and prosper.” Spock did both the salutes in order.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My name’s Nico. Xe/xem/xirs pronouns right now.. What kid are you looking for today?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico, I was hoping that they’d foster you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me. The problem kid who can’t fight? Ms. Teresa. They practically live on a Starship. They probably need either a small child to argue the point that they’re needed on board, or a kid nearly old enough to go to Starfleet Academy. I’m 14. That’s a bit in the middle.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico. They are willing to foster you for a month. If you or them wish to return you here, then they can. But can you at least try?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’re your names?” xe addressed Jim and Spock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am Spock, and this is my bondmate and husband Jim. I am the first officer on the starship </span>
  <em>
    <span>Enterprise</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and he’s the Captain.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Captain, huh? I’m just gonna call you Jim. Okay, I’ll do it, Ms. Teresa. Just let me get my stuff.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, Nico. They have to fill out the paperwork anyway.” Teresa slid papers over to Jim and Spock, who started to fill them out. When they finished Nico arrived lugging a bag. Xe had changed out of the tank top and loose pants they had been fighting into a black hoodie with purple plaid patches, a t-shirt for an old Terran band from the early 21st century, black jeans, and headphones dangled around their neck. They were still wearing the same black combat boots from before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We going?” xe said. Jim nodded, and they left to walk to the beam up point.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You mentioned that your pronouns were xe/xem currently. Could you please elaborate?” Spock asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah. I’m genderfluid. Normally I stick with xe/xem, unless I feel really strongly about she/her or he/him or they/them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s cool.” Jim said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. My mom didn’t find it that cool.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your mom?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t been adoptable my whole life. My mom’s one of the three ambassadors to Terra. I came out to her, and suddenly it’s all ‘since I’m off world so much and you don’t like Terra, I was thinking, maybe you need different parents’.” xe gave a small bitter laugh. “Just a coincidence that it happened when I wasn’t cute enough to go on TV. She says that I ran away. Anyway, away from that sad topic, where am I gonna sleep?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We were going to give you Spock’s old quarters. It shares a bathroom with us, though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s cool. I shared a bathroom with my younger brother, and then with the other kids at the foster home.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Younger brother?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He liked Terra. It wasn’t even that I disliked it. I just hated the gender roles. Queem aren’t supposed to be raised as a certain gender, but we had to act Terran. We weren’t even supposed to stay there that long.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You might have to live on Terra between missions if we adopt you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like I said. It was the being forced to act like a girl. Just cause I could technically get impregnated.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We won’t make you do that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great! Thanks! So, how does beaming up work?” Xe smiled as Spock started to explain the process. ‘Nerd’. Xe mouthed at Jim, who grinned back.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I come on the bridge with you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Can xe?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jim asked Spock through his bond.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I do not see why xe couldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Spock replied.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure.” Jim said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait Vulcans are telepathic, right? So can you guys like talk through your bond? But humans are psy-null? Wait can telepaths bond with psy-null species? Could I?” Nico chartered as they walked to the turbolift.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Vulcans are not telepathic. We are touch-telepaths.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, so are Queem. Close enough. So like if you decide to adopt me, I could hypothetically form a familial bond?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, that would be possible.” Spock answered as they entered the turbolift. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh that </span>
  <em>
    <span>slaps</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I still kinda got that bond with my mom and dad. They check up on me. I alway return with a fuck you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do not see how the action of forming a familial bond has anything to do with ‘slapping’.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Slang.” the doors opened onto the bridge. “God this is so </span>
  <em>
    <span>cool</span>
  </em>
  <span>. So. Introduce me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jim clapped his hands. “Okay, gang! Spock and I have an announcement.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you not tell them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That would ruin the fun, Spock! He and I are fostering, and possibly adopting a kid. Everyone, this is Nico Wright. Xe will be staying with us for a month, and hopefully more.” Nico gave a lazy salute. “Nico these are Nyota Uhura, communications; Pavel Chekov, navigation; Hikaru Sulu, pilot; and Montgomery Scott, lead engineer; Leonard Bones McCoy, chief medical officer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cool! What do I call them? Mr. or Ms. last name, or what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Xe can call me Nyota.” Nyota spoke up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Xe is welcome to call me Pavel.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hikaru is fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anything but Bones.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m calling you Bones.” Nico cut in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Call me Scotty.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico, do you have a gender neutral alternative to lassie and laddie for Scotty to call you?” Jim said, noticing Scotty’s pause where he would normally insert one of those terms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Laddie’s fine, but if he wants to spice it up with a ladsie, that’d be epic. So! This is a </span>
  <em>
    <span>bop</span>
  </em>
  <span> of a ship.” xe glanced at Spock. “Slang. It must be so cool to be the Captain.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is.” Jim sat down and directed his attention to Hikaru. “Sulu, take us out. Warp 3.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aye, aye, Captain.” Sulu said, pulling forward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And we’re off.” Nico whispered in awe. Jim and Spock glanced at xem and shared a smile.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Nico, would you care to join us for dinner tonight?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d think that’d be a given, me being your foster kid and all. But, can y’all show me to my room first? I’d like to set up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” they started walking to the turbolift. “Have you guys ever read </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lord of the Rings</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Jim nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico launched into ranting about it. When xe finished they were at the door to xir room. “Sorry. I do that. I have certain things I love, and I won’t stop talking about them. Ms. Teresa found it endearing but annoying. That’s a direct quote. I just really can’t stop.” They entered the room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay.” Jim smiled. “Sometimes Spock does the same thing, and Chekov. Except for Chekov it’s Russia. The boy will not shut up about Russia.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How old is he? He looks young.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seventeen.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s fucking what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Language!” Jim said, as Spock raised a surprised eyebrow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“English, Queem, and some Vulcan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Smart ass.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” xe laid xir suitcase on the bed and opened it, starting to take things out. “So. To get the question ball rolling, what are your full names?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m James Tiberius- don’t laugh!- Kirk, and he’s… I can’t say it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“S’chn T’gai Spock.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So if you adopt me my name would be,” xe stumbled over Spock’s name but pronounced the best xe could “S’chn T’gai Nico Elsie Raymond Wright Kirk?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Approximately, yes.” Spock said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chill, an even longer name. So now you know my full name is Nico Elsie Raymond Wright. I chose Nico, Raymond, and Wright myself. Elsie I was given. You ask a question.” Xe laid a few stuffed animals out on the bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s your birthday?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“March 22nd.” That was indeed Nico’s birthday, if not the author’s, because the author isn’t dumb enough to give out xir birthday online. “Your’s?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jim was also born on the 22nd of March. And Vulcans do not celebrate something as arbitrary as birth.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s January 6. His mom told me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And Vulcans don’t celebrate birthdays?” xe raised an eyebrow at Spock, and Jim realized that if they kept her around there would be even more eyebrow raising.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My mother is a human.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cool. Anyway, we share a birthday! Cool! I just said cool twice. Okay my turn for a question.” xe took out a bag of toiletries and darted into the bathroom to place them there. “If you could live one any planet, what would it be?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t be able to live on any planet but Earth. Yeah, I love space, but I couldn’t. Maybe Vulcan, with Spock.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I would wish to live where Jim lived.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What a romantic.” Nico moved the bag to the floor and flopped on the bed, picking up one of the stuffed animals and hugging it. “I’d either live on Queem still, but Earth would be nice without all the gender stuff. By the way,” she lifted up the stuffed animal she was holding, a frog that was mainly made of fabric with a stuffed head. “This is Froggy. It’s a bit baby-ish, but I can’t sleep without him. Y’all should know that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How illogical.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But not bad.” Jim said, fixing his husband with a look.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know it’s illogical. But whatever. I’m illogical. Your question.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s your favorite color?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Purple and black. You?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cliche, but I like gold. And red.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Having a preferred color above the rest is illogical, however, I find myself enjoying the color blue.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cliche.” Nico said. “So damn cliche. Not to be illogical, but what’s your favorite animal?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I quite like sehlets. They are Vulcan pets. They look like teddy bears, but with six inch fangs.” Spock said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like cows.” Jim said, and Nico gave a small laugh. “Don’t judge me! And let me guess, frogs?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For a long time as a child, yes, but now I find myself quite partial to foxes. Are there any alien versions of dragons?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“None that should be your favorite.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico frowned jokingly. “I also like bats. And jaguars. I just like animals, really.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why did you choose a question you could not answer?” Spock inquired.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A person’s favorite animal tells a lot about them. For example. Jim’s from the midwest. It’s that or Texas, and I don’t hear an accent. And you have a hard time choosing favorites, so you choose something familiar to you. Most people that like pets do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You aren’t wrong.” Jim said. “And I’m from Iowa.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chill. Illinois was where I was raised. Decent place, really progressive, fine with trans folks, and my mom was fine, but not when it was her kid.” Nico sighed and hugged Froggy. “Sorry. So. Dinner? And more questions?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That would be agreeable.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course!”</span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In TOS everyone is so formal all the time. Why? Don't people have good old fasioned slang? I wnat to know alien slang. Ooh I should make some up.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After they played some more back and forth with questions, and were sitting down, Bones joined them. “So, kid, Spock and Jim might turn out to be your dads?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! So, why does he call you Bones?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s cause he’s a doctor. And also because when I met him he said all he had left was his bones.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Left after what?” Nico said, shoving food into xir mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My divorce.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Sorry!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It happened a long while back.” Bones said. “So, why are you eating the same as Spock. Why don’t you want colored blocks?” he poked at the suspicious food they were supposed to eat the majority of the time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Spock says that he doesn’t know what’s in them, and they could have meat, so he doesn’t eat them! And I’m a vegetarian!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it a Queem thing, or personal preference? Queem are like Vulcans, right? God, Jim, if xe gets hurt, who is going to treat xem?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me thing, personal preference. And don’t worry, I have a book on Queem biology. It shouldn’t be hard to understand. It’s kinda like a Vulcan/human mix. For example my heart is like a human heart, but kinda lower, but not down by where my liver is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you know so much?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had a lot of free time in the home and on Earth. I read and wrote. For example, I’m fluent in both Standard and Ravkan Queem. I know a bit of Vulcan, but mainly words I’ve picked up here and there. I also know gender pronouns in most languages.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s oddly specific.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <span>“Not for me. I use pronoun pins whenever I go places. Vulcan meetings were always fun, because they don’t have pronouns, so it just had to ignore when my mom used ko- prefixes. Once I told a kid I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>thus-guvanik</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and he told my</span>
</p><p>
  <span>mom, but luckily she didn’t know what it meant, and Lady Amanda was nice enough to not tell my mom what it meant and scold the kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You said your mom. Aren’t you up for adoption?” Bones asked.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Having a genderfluid kid doesn’t benefit an ambassador.” Nico shrugged. “It’s chill. I just wish other Ambassadors didn’t love her so much.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Nico, we’re actually stopping on Vulcan for some shore leave in two weeks. If you wish, you could see Lady Amanda and Ambassador Sarek and tell them yourself.” Jim said, sharing a look with Spock and Bones.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I would like that, but you do not have to go out of your way to take me there.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We always visit them when going to Vulcan, don’t worry.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then thank you. Sincerely. I hope you choose to keep me. I am finished. May I explore the ship?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me find you a guide.” Jim said, scanning to see if anyone else was finished. “Mr. Chekov!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Pavel seemed to appear right by Jim’s arm. “Yes, Keptin?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you show Nico around the ship?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir. May I bring Mr. Sulu with, sir?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course.” Pavel smiled and went off to find him. “What are the gender pronouns in Halim?” Jim tested.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Ek/en for women, de/den for men, ik/iden, ki/ken, sek/sen and eki/gen for nonbinary people. When talking with Halim people I use ki/ken. For example, </span>
  <em>
    <span>ken dem es Nico, ki dem es geong hende. Ki geoldo jasden</span>
  </em>
  <span>. They are Nico, they are not gendered. They have red hair. Actual things said about me.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You are good.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I make it a point, Jim. And it is logical, of course, to know what people may call me in different languages.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It is indeed logical.” Spock said as Pavel returned with Hikaru. “Please, enjoy your tour of the ship.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure I will.” Nico grinned, and followed Pavel and Hikaru out of the dining area. As they wandered around Nico talked happily about facts xe knew and things xe saw.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We need to practice spar now, if you want to come to the gym with us.” Hikaru said, and Nico nodded excitedly.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to!” They walked to the gym, where Pavel and Hikaru got ready to spar. Nico sat on the floor, watching them with some interest. When Hikaru won, xe clapped. “You guys are good. Think I could take you? Not Hikaru, he’s too old for me to beat, but maybe you.” xe pointed at Pavel.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I am sewenteen, and taller zan you, I am not thinking zat is good idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on! You can beat me. Scared a fourteen year old will beat you?” xe teased, and Pavel frowned, but reluctantly agreed to spar.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span> They took their places on the mat, some other crewmembers that had been exercising coming to watch. It was almost obvious Nico didn’t have much chance at winning, being 14, and somewhat shorter than Pavel, along with wearing jeans. Xe had taken off the boots so xe wouldn’t hurt Pavel accidentally.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Go.” Hikaru said, mildly afraid of what was going to happen.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nico put up a good fight, blocking most of Pavel’s blows, and taunting him slightly for going easy on xem, which he was admittedly doing. Nico did kick Pavel back with xir foot, but he ended up winning.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit.” Nico breathed. “But good fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Pavel helped xir up. “It was a good fight, zank you. You are strong, and if you were sewenteen you would have maybe beat me. Zere is a leetle chance.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“A little chance? Perhaps.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that a tattoo?” Hikaru asked, pointing to the black on xir skin as xe put on xir hoodie.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I draw on myself. It’s fun. I used to practice Vulcan script that way, but it's a bit weird when you can meet someone who speaks and reads Vulcan and they see words like vegetable and hot on your arm.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When Nico was putting one of xir boots back on Jim and Spock entered the room. “Did you guys let xem fight?” Jim asked about the fact Nico was putting on a boot. Everyone looked awkwardly at the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I made them.” Nico said.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Who did you fight?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you going to punish them?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Not beyond a lecture.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Pavel. It was the logical choice, he’s the youngest.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Although the logical choice would be not to spar at all, xe is correct.” Spock said.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Pavel. Did you fight Nico?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you hesitate to fight Nico?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Keptin. I told xem that it was not a very good idea, and zat I was older and taller zan xem.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, fair enough. Nico, next time you want to fight, there are dummies you can fight.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nico sighed. “Okay, fair enough.”</span>
  <span></span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thus-guvanik apperently means transgender in Vulcan</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The day before they were set to arrive at Vulcan Nico was sitting in Spock and Jim’s room, waiting for Jim to get back as Spock meditated. He was reading an old Terran book, Harry Potter, despite the fact the author was frowned upon by several modern people, and also that he had read it several times. He was interested in the plot, and what did he do best but shove headcanons the authors would hate on characters? For example, Hermione Granger was trans and black, and he would take no criticism.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was also a he/him day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Jim walked through the door he was somewhat confused at the sight. Spock was meditating, and Nico was reading quietly in the corner, as so not to disturb him. He realised that Nico must not always talk, but it was strange to see that chatty child quietly engrossed in a book. He waved at him, and he waved back. Jim sat on that bed and started to remove his shoes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Over the course of the two weeks Jim had been finding himself growing attached to Nico. He reminded him somewhat of what he had been as a child: reckless, talkative, obsessions passing by, full of curiosity for the unknown, and smart. He watched Spock meditate, occasionally taking glances at the reading boy. At one point Nico set down the book, stood up, and shook his entire body, before sitting back down, and resuming the book. Jim wondered if he was neurodivergent. Of course, he wouldn’t make a diagnosis, but he noticed the obsessions, the constant movement, the way people sometimes didn’t compute for him. But that wasn’t up to Jim.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Spock finally finished meditating after what felt like hours to Jim, and turned to look at Nico in surprise. “When did you come in here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I dunno. I was gonna talk to you guys, saw smoke from your incense, and the bathroom door was unlocked, and I didn't mind the smell once I came in here, so I decided to read in here. Nice robes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you being sarcastic?” Spock asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really. They’re cool robes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, what did you want to talk about, Nico?” Jim said, wrapping an arm around Spock as the Vulcan sat on the bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So we’re going to Vulcan, and I’m going to see Ambassador Sarek and Lady Amanda, and I was wondering if you were going to say that I’m the kid you’re fostering or… that I’m your kid” he said the last words quietly, Jim couldn’t hear them, but Spock could, and he transmitted them over the bond.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you want us to say that you’re our kid?” Jim asked softly, and Nico nodded sheepishly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.” he whispered, and Jim shook his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s nothing to be sorry about. Spock and I’ve discussed it, and we’d be happy to call you our child.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico beamed. “I don’t think I’m ready to call you dad or whatever.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s okay, right Spock.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That is your choice, and a logical preference to have.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. You guys are amazing. Can I hug you?” Jim opened his free arm, and Spock mirrored it with his free arm. Nico smiled and wrapped his arms around them. “You guys are great.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are great as well.” Spock said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes you are.” Jim agreed.</span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>When they arrived on Vulcan, having been stabbed with Bones’ tri-ox compound, Spock entered the room with Sarek and Amanda first, and sent a rather shocking bond message to Jim.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jim, I am afraid that one of the Queem ambassadors is here. Nico’s mother, most likely, as the other Queem ambassadors are male and agender respectively.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh shit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jim relayed this information to Nico, who thought on it. “I could simply introduce myself as Nico, the Captain and First Officer’s child.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That would work, and be a significant fuck you. I’ll tell Spock through the bond.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How will Lady Amanda and Ambassador Sarek figure it out?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You find out once you see them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Babe, I’m coming in.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I shall introduce you and Nico.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We aren’t royalty.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jim’s voice was joking, happy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>In my eyes, ashayam, you are.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Babe! You’re such a romantic!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jim pushed open the door a bit and heard Spock speak.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My husband and bondmate will be entering, along with our adopted child. I’m sure you shall all find his presence very enlightening.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That sounds sketchy, did you adopt some wizkid who has choice words he can say without you stopping him?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps. Or perhaps I just believe you will. Jim, come in!” he called at the door, which Jim pushed open.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Amanda, Sarek, how nice to see you again. And you are?” he did the Queem salute at Nico’s mother, who hadn’t noticed Nico yet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ambassador Sparrow, of Queem.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Queem. That’s where our child is from.” Jim gave her the best obviously fake smile he could muster, and she started to pit two and two together. She turned to the child.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello.” Nico chirped. “My name is Nico. I’m the Captain and Mr. Spock’s kid. And you are Ambassador Sparrow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nyxia.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, my name’s Nico. You must be confused.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The minute Nico had started to speak Amanda and Sarek had turned around. They watched the scene, confused, and mildly horrified, on Amanda’s part at least.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nyxia, what is this game?” Sparrow said, looking at Sarek in mild panic. “You ran away and got yourself adopted?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I never ran away. I seem to remember my mom leaving me at the home because I was a trouble for her to have.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nyx-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s Nico.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you on about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I’ll explain. My mom is the female Queem ambassador. I was a trouble because I refused to behave on Terra and on Queem, insisting I wasn’t a girl. She left me at the foster home saying that I’d be better off with another family, and then went public saying I ran away and blaming the busy life of an ambassdor. Two weeks ago Jim and Spock came to that specific home to find a child to foster and adopt, and they chose me. Now I’m here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ambassador Sparrow, maybe you should leave the room for a minute.” Amanda said, ushering her out passive aggressively. “So, Spock, why didn’t you tell me about Nico?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was supposed to be a surprise, Amanda.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “I have a grandchild now, and you keep that from me, Jim? Spock, you’re supposed to have common sense, you’re a Vulcan for Surak’s sake.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico raised his hand. “Hi, so I’m guessing that Jim and Spock decided the fact you guys were my grandparents we going to be a surprise.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amanda sighed and frowned at Spock. “No more surprises.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Understood.” Spock said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think she’s going to make an amazing grandma.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh absolutely.” Amanda said. “I wouldn’t dream of being any less.”</span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This is what Nico looks like (<a href="https://picrew.me/image_maker/41329">Link to picrew used to make this</a>). Xe has mildly more human skin, however, because xir blood is purple, making xir purple pigmentation more similar to a Vulcan's then, say, an Orion.</p><p>
  
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Amanda was teaching Nico how to make plomeek soup. Okay, teaching was a bit of a stretch. She was letting him cut up the plomeeks and stir the soup, while doing the rest, letting Nico talk about music.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So I like modern stuff enough, but if you want really good loud anti government stuff, you have to go centuries back, because anti gov stuff today is just ‘I want to have slaves and be xenophobic legally’. I really like early 21st century stuff, like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, Set It Off, Green Day, and such.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Interesting. So, what do you want to do in life, Nico?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, being part of Starfleet would be cool, but I hate red, so I’d want to take science track, but science isn’t really my forte. I really like the written word and such. I want to write novels. I have an idea for a historical fiction taking place in the 21st century. When Trump was president, that asshole? It’s a romance between two women.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s cool.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I really like to write. I like to write stories about things I love. Like the Harry Potter books! It’s called fanfiction, and you can use it to make whatever you want happen!” he flapped his hands by his side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The soup is done.” Amanda said, ladling the soup into bowls, which she handed to Nico to take to the men. As they ate the adults had conversation, as Nico lost himself in his mind, thinking about anything he could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico, how are you… enjoying it on Vulcan?” Sarek asked, obviously uncomfortable with the use of the word enjoying. It jerked Nico out of his thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like it! You guys are really nice. I actually even admired you when I was Ambassador’s Sparrow’s kid. Sarek, you were just being normal for a Vulcan, but it really disturbed her, so that was cool. And once I get fed up with a little kid using ko- prefixes and told him I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>thus-guvanik</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and he told her, but Amanda didn’t tell her what it meant and told the kid that you never told other people if someone told you that they were trans.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I remember that. Kovir apologized.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good for him. I’m not worried about him. I’m thanking you. Also this soup is bland.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s Spock’s favorite.” Amanda said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cool. I don’t have a favorite food. And don’t Vulcans ‘not have favorites’?” he raised a mocking eyebrow at Spock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico please.” Jim said. “Let him pretend.” Amanda gave a small laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Vulcans do have emotions, Nico. They just hide them. Some emotions they have more of than humans.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know they have emotions. Spock’s married to Jim, Sarek’s married to you. They just choose not to show them and be controlled by logic. But it’s fun to tease them. Mainly because I’m a dick, but still.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico, you are not a dick!” Jim exclaimed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s your opinion.” Nico shrugged and took another bite of soup, missing how the others were staring at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico, do you honestly think that you’re a bad person?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We aren’t going to have the mental health talk right now, okay? That’s for later. Talk about your missions. How did you get together? Why do you have a 17 year old on board when this is a long ass mission how fucking old was he when he graduated Starfleet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well the whole 17 year old thing was an author’s mistake.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? Anyway, he’s actually 24, but he chugged some de aging potion so he ages really slowly, so he just says he’s 17 till he looks 18.” Jim said, because there was no other explanation, and the author doesn’t want to go back and edit it, because it wouldn’t make sense in the story.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay that is fucked up. What aliens had de-aging potion just lying around?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The egEEn, apparently.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico laughed. “Why?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They use it on themselves.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They wouldn’t say.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well the egEEn are weird anyway.” Nico ate the last bite of his plomeek soup. “This is still outstandly bland. Don’t Vulcans have like amazingly spicy food? Why is this so bland?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m afraid I don’t know.” Amanda said. “But I don’t see Spock that often, so I want to make it as pleasant an experience as I can have with two Vulcans who didn’t talk for several years.” She shot her husband and son an exasperated glare. “Sarek didn’t like Spock choosing Starfleet over the VSA.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why did you?” Nico asked Spock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They referred to me being half human as a ‘disadvantage’. I could not stand that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s cool. Good reason. Is Starfleet hard?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It depends on how you decide to approach it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He means it’s hard if you aren’t Vulcan. You considering Starfleet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. What else would I do? I don’t feel at home on Earth or on Queem. Space is cool though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been to quite a few planets. Which one was your favorite?” Amanda asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“None, really. I usually found a museum to look at with my dad and brother while Mom did ambassador stuff. I know a lot of random bits of other cultures. For example, Betazoid women used to wear wigs that caged small animals.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Nico, what are some facts about Queem culture?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He practically radiated light at the question. “Okay so, Queem are usually pacifists, but fighting is considered a sport. There are three main levels, leti, seme, and biste. Leti is hand to hand. Usually in leti a big focus is kicking. You aren’t supposed to move to seme if you can’t press your heel against your </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>opponent. I’ll tell you why in a moment. Seme is the staff. Well, technically it’s a mix of the staff and hand to hand, but each of the levels is combining a new part into the mix. Queem staffs have two mechanisms. One makes a platform so the staff can stand straight up, which is useful if you want to use it as a way to get up and kick your enemies. And the second built in feature is also for biste. Biste is never used in the sport, and only when there is an actual fight, which only happens when we have to fight to protect our lives and/or culture. Biste is knives. Normally biste only includes hand wielded knives and the knives that come out of our staffs, but some people have boots that have knives that come out of the heels. That’s why we have to know how to kick someone with our heels.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What level are you on?” Jim inquired.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Technically I should still be on leti, but since I can almost hit with my heel, Ms. Teresa (that was the person who ran the home) let me move to seme. I can only move to biste when I can use the staff to improve my kicking skills.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can humans learn leti, seme, and biste?” he asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The overall term is Kistie, and yes. Although a lot of humans don’t want to, viewing seme’s use of the staff as sexual. While, yes, we are supposed to be able to still fight while touching the staff set in one position, it isn’t fucking pole dancing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you know what pole dancing is and should you be allowed to use the word fuck?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One, I don’t remember, and two, I absolutely should.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you are skilled in leti, how did Mr. Chekov overcome you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not used to working with real people versus machines, and also he is taller and stronger. I am only 14, and I had no staff.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you continue to learn Kistie on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Enterprise</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. There’s plenty of training stuff downloaded to my PADD.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a knock at the door, cutting off Nico. “Ah, that would be Stonn and T’Pring.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stonn.” Jim snarled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mother, while T’Pring and I get along well and I would not be displeased to see her again, I must inquire about the logic of inviting my ex-betrothed and her husband here tonight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Stonn and T’Pring aren’t married anymore. He is simply helping her to raise their adopted child.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good, cause he’s a prick, and T’Pring is pretty damn awesome.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jim.” Spock said, looking toward Sarek, who had a displeased look on his face about Jim’s emotional choice of words. Amanda gave a small laugh and went to open the door. T’Pring and Stonn entered the room with their child. Nico had expected them to be Vulcan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s a Betazoid!” Nico exclaimed. All the adults besides Stonn and T’Pring gave various variations of “don’t be rude.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you’re Queem. I’m Mona.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico. Nice to meet you.” They sat down on the couch together and started to talk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you like?” Nico asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I like murder mysteries, and theater.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cool! So, if you could commit a murder in anyway, what would it be?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Spock and Sarek looked at their spouses in varying degrees of alarm, but the two humans just laughed. Stonn and T’Pring just looked as exasperated as it was possible for a Vulcan to look, as if they had put up with this before.</span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Mona,” Spock said after a while. “We are here on shore leave. If T’Pring allows you, would you like to join us?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about my consent?” Stonn objected.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No one likes you, Stonn.” Nico said idly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s true.” Mona added. “Not even Mother.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mona can go with you if she wishes, Spock. Mona, do you wish to go with Spock and his child for their shore leave?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” Mona said rather excitedly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then it is settled. If you are okay with that, Captain?” T’Pring said, obviously not actually caring about Jim’s opinion in the matter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It would be anyway, but you act as if I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> authority in a room full of Vulcans.” he joked. “You’ve seen me die.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes. It was a shame to make you fight in </span>
  <em>
    <span>kal-if-fee</span>
  </em>
  <span>, albeit necessary. It is relieving to see you alive.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, bullshit on the necessary, thank you? I think, on the alive bit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jim, please.” Spock said gently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico stood up, smoothing out the long skirt he was wearing. “What is there to do on Vulcan? The majority of the crew is human, and so </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> illogical.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There is food, and mild entertainment. Vulcans do not </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> entertain themselves by being logical.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really?” Nico said sarcastically, as they left Sarek and Amanda’s house to go to town.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they got there Jim let Mona and Nico go free, telling Nico he would buy him anything that wasn’t too expensive.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two entered a small restaurant, looking for a table. All the tables were taken, but there was one with two people their age, a Vulcan girl, and the male ambassador’s child. Well, one of them, Eli. His sisters were nowhere to be seen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on.” Nico said to Mona, approaching them. “There aren’t any open tables, can I sit here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The Vulcan girl looked up and scanned the tables. “Yes, that is logical.” Nico and Mona both took a seat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Eli.” Nico said. He knew Eli, but not well. He wondered if they could be friends.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hey, Nyxia.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s Nico now. So,” he turned his attention to the Vulcan girl. “What’s your name, and how the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jemim</span>
  </em>
  <span> do you have light brown hair?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m T’Pina. And it was a genetic mutation.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cool. I’m Nico Wright, this is Mona. I don’t know her family name. My pronouns are he/him currently, I’ll mention if and when they change. Mona’s are she/her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eli Aydan. He/him and they/them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“S’chj T’jei T’Pina, she/her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cool!” Nico said. “So, what are y’all talking about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Warp theory.” Eli said. “I was explaining how we could possibly change warp so we don’t need dilithium crystals.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you should tell that to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Enterprise</span>
  </em>
  <span>’s chief engineer! If there’s anything Scotty likes, it’s doing risky experiments.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, like I could talk to him. I might be the ambassador’s kid, but that doesn’t mean I can just talk to whoever I want.” Eli said, and Nico raised his eyebrows and took out the communicator Jim had given him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Enterprise</span>
  </em>
  <span>, come in </span>
  <em>
    <span>Enterprise</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ladsie, you were only supposed to use this communicator in case of emergency.” Scotty’s voice came through. “There better be something terribly wrong down there.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oops.” Nico said, a smile still on his face. “Don’t tell Spock? Or Jim?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only if you have a good reason.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My friend Eli Ayden thinks that he can change the warp drive so that you don’t need dilithium crystals.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ach, we’re going to take the Ambassador and his family to Bast III. You didn’t need to call me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, fuck, I didn’t know that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Language, Ladsie!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whatever, Scotty. See you on the ship.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Goodbye, Nico.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico flipped the communicator closed. “I hope that we’re only taking Ambassador Thomas, and not Ambassador Sparrow.” he grinned. “I can’t stand her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t Ambassador Sparrow your mom?” Eli asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No?” he faked confusion. “I’m the proud child of Captain James Tibirus Kirk and Commander S’chn T’gai Spock!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I’m hallucinating.” Eli said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You butchered the S’chn T’gai family name.” T’Pina said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, the whole Vulcan tongues are more advanced than other tongues. But I need to be able to pronounce my whole name. S’chn T’gai Nico Elsie Raymond Wright Kirk.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please never try to speak Vulcan again.” T’Pina said, reaching down to stroke a sehlat Nico was just then realizing was there, which was quite dumb of him, because damn were sehlats big.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nope!” he popped the P. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Nash-veh ri tor bolaya tor tor ra du aitlun</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am don’t need do do what you desire?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m still learning!” Nico protested. “I know Standard </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> Queem, and I’m also learning Klingon, Standard Sign Language, and Romulan at the same time I’m working on Vulcan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you have too many projects you’ll never finish any.” T’Pina logically pointed out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah. I know. Anyway, what’s your sehlat’s name?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mazhivik.” T’Pina said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That means sandy in Vulcan.” Mona said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The color of her fur is not unlike the color of the sand.” T’Pina said. “And I did not name her. She came with the name.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not an illogical name.” Nico said. “Very logical.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It sounds like you’re taunting her.” Eli pointed out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And, I do want to know how you went from being Ambassador Sparrow’s child to being one of the most famous Starfleet captain’s kid.” he added.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, so I’m genderfluid. And Sparrow wasn’t comfortable with that. And after a while she just dumped me at a… the closet Standard equivalent is foster home. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dunes gistes tiem</span>
  </em>
  <span> is the Queem name. Literally wayward child home. She said that because I didn’t like being her kid, that another family might be better. Then Jim and Spock wanted a kid, and chose me.” Nico shrugged. “Easy. Ambassador Sparrow’s a bitch, Jim and Spock are amazing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Should you really call your mom that?” T’Pina said. “It’s not nice at all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking</span>
  </em>
  <span> wait. Shit. What’s the word? It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>istiben</span>
  </em>
  <span> in Queem. Eli?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She abandoned you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Technically, yeah. But I’m dealing with it. Mainly by bottling it up unhealthily </span>
  <em>
    <span>but</span>
  </em>
  <span> I also meditate to mimic Spock.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does he instruct you?” T’Pina inquired.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, he doesn’t know. I have a lot of anxiety on how I’m perceived. By the way, can I get y’all’s PADD numbers. I feel like I’d love to irritate y’all. Be friends?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure.” Mona said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Eli replied.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico took out his PADD and let them all enter their numbers. “Thanks!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he shot them all messages to give them his PADD number, a loud voice in Queem carried over the square.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Eli, es jis du hil kisel Captain Kirk hu Commander Spock</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” (Eli, we have to go meet Captain Kirk and Commander Spock) Nico knew that voice, Lynn Aydan, Eli’s sister.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fi ya jii gesto Standard? Hu ka betim</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” (Do you not know Standard? And I’m coming) Eli yelled back, making T’Pina and Nico cover their sensitive ears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know Standard.” Lynn muttered in Standard. “Oh, hi Nyxia!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico now.” Nico said, wondering if he really came off feminine enough to be though of as his old dead self.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cool. Eli, we’re meeting with the Captain and the first officer of the ship taking us to Bast III.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t I remember that.” Eli grouched, gathering his stuff.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, Lynn, can I come with you? I have to meet up with Spock and Jim anyway. They’re at that fancy restaurant a few blocks down with Ambassador Sarek, Lady Amanda, T’Pring, Stonn, and T’Pau, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but I don’t know why you would call Captain Kirk Jim.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ok. Mona, you should probably come to. T’Pina, want to walk with us?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That would be satisfactory.” T’Pina gathered her stuff, and walked over to them, Mazhivik following her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Captain Kirk is so hot, isn’t he?” Lynn said as they walked toward the restaurant. Nico stared at his feet, trying not to turn bright purple and make a face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t he married?” Eli saved Nico.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, and he’s also too old for me. But he’s hot. I wonder how Mr. Spock got him. Like, Kirk has a bit of a reputation, and Mr. Spock’s a Vulcan.” she glanced at T’Pina “no offense.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Offense is a human emotion. And, by Vulcan standards, Mr. Spock is quite promiscuous.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s what?” Lynn said incredulously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you seen the way he holds Captain Kirk’s hand in public? It’s scandalous.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s scandalous? It’s not like they’re groping each other.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, to use your human expression, it is something similar to ‘groping each other’.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m never dating a Vulcan.” Lynn said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s what you got out of this conversation?” Eli said. “Not that Mr. Spock’s a slut?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please refrain from calling Mr. Spock a ‘slut’ when people can hear you, Eli.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not now that I know this information.” Eli gasped, and leaned in to Nico and whispered, “How does it feel to know that your dads are both sluts?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico turned purple. “Bit of a surprise.” he whispered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The small group of kids finally reached the restaurant, where T’Pring and Stonn were exiting. “Ah, Mona. We were about to come find you. Stonn, you may leave.” she gave him the ta’al “live long and prosper.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Live long and prosper.” he returned as bitterly as a Vulcan could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And Nico.” She said, turning the ta’al to him. “Live long and prosper.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Live long and prosper, T’Pring, Mona. Not you Stonn. Go fuck yourself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please, Nico, do not be mean to Stonn. He cannot handle any aggression in return to his. Ah, someday you should be told of the time he bullied Spock and Spock beat him up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> to know that. Thanks, T’Pring. Bye Mona.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>T’Pring and her daughter walked away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I should be leaving now. Eli, thank you for randomly sitting at my table and starting to talk about warp theory. Nico, I look forward to further making your acquaintance. Lynn, you can get my PADD number from Eli, I am intrigued to what conversation with you would be like.” she did the ta’al. “Live long and prosper.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The three did the ta’al back and spoke the words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Live long and prosper, S’chj T’jei T’Pina.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still pronouncing it wrong. Work on S’chn T’gai before my family name, however. Mazhivik, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sarlah</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” (come) They walked away from the restaurant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shall we go in?” Nico said, and the two nodded, so they went through the doors.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me? We’re with Captain Kirk and Ambassador Thomas?” Nico said the Vulcan in charge of the restaurant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Table in the next room. You cannot miss it. It is T’Pau’s reserved spot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” Nico said, leading the other two into the next room. The Vulcan had been right about the fact you couldn’t miss it. It was a large table, and there were several empty spots, despite the fact that Jim, Spock, Amanda, Sarek, T’Pau, Ambassador Thomas, Ambassador Thomas’ wife, and the third of the Ayden siblings, Grace.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico!” Jim said. “Lynn, Eli, I presume? Over here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Jim, it’s not like you have the biggest table in the room or anything.” Nico flopped down in the empty spot between Jim and Spock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t know if that was for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who the fuck else would an empty chair between you guys be for? Jesus?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well he can sit in one of the other empty chairs.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That is true.” Spock said. “Very logical. Ambassador Thomas, Lady Rachel, Grace, this is our newly adopted child, Nico.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t that Nyxia, Ambassador Sparrow’s daughter?” Lady Rachel.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>istiben</span>
  </em>
  <span> at a </span>
  <em>
    <span>dunes gistes tiem</span>
  </em>
  <span> by her, and was adopted by Jim and Spock. Also it’s Nico now. I’m genderfluid.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico, you spoke in Queem, and some people don’t know what those words mean.” Amanda gently corrected.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Istiben</span>
  </em>
  <span> means abandoned, </span>
  <em>
    <span>dunes gistes tiem</span>
  </em>
  <span> isn’t really a phrase in standard. It literally means wayward child home. It’s basically a foster home.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is a lot of information at once.” Lady Rachel said. “Why don’t we order?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico leaned over to Jim and whispered “what can I eat here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How much spicy food can you endure?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“On a scale of one to ten, I’m a two.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They have a human food section. What human food do you like?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you just want a salad?” Jim said sympathetically. “You can replicate something once we get back to the ship.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s a good plan.”</span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>My friend who T'Pina was based off's tik tok - Natashamaria06<br/>My friend Eli was based off's Tumblr - pretentiouslizard<br/>My Tumblr - gender-snatched</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>These are my friends I have in this so far</p><p>Mona</p><p>
  
</p><p>T'Pina</p><p>
  
</p><p>Eli</p><p>Lynn, who actually has brown hair with blond highlights</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Nico sat in his room idly PADD messaging a group chat of Eli, Mona, and T’Pina and reading on an old website called Archive of Our Own, where people published fanworks. It was around from the early 21st century, but it was updated when it had to be, so people like him still used it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The doorbell like thing buzzed. “Come in.” he said. The door opened to show Jim and Spock. “Hey. What’s up?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We wondered if you might want to watch a holo with us?” Jim said as Spock raised an eyebrow at the fact Nico was eating chips on his bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Won’t I technically be third wheeling?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, this is a family thing, not a date thing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then sure.” he shot a quick message to his friends and set the PADD aside. “What type of movies do you guys watch? No let me guess. Jim likes action, Spock likes documentaries?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do enjoy documentaries, however Jim seems to enjoy movies that are called ‘rom-coms’.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s cursed, but I’m not that surprised. Can we </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> watch a rom-com, though? I don’t like them. Misunderstanding after misunderstanding, and it’s usually a couple with little to no chemistry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But if you know where to look you </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> get good movies. And for free.” Jim said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico gave a small sarcastic gasp “you’re pirating.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. But yes? The person paid for them and distributes them for free. Spock is that illegal?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have either of you commited a crime?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I once drove my dad’s old car off a cliff into a quarry because my stepdad was going to sell it. I’ve gotten into numerous bar fights. Broken the prime directive a few times. Did graffiti, trespassed, stole.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have not broken a law.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You committed mutiny to get Pike to that planet.” Jim nudged Spock with his elbow jokingly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was forgiven for that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was still mutiny.” Upon seeing that Spock looked uncomfortable, he softly slid his hand into Spock’s. “I’m joking, babe, don’t worry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, by the way,” Nico said, noticing their hand holding “T’Pina called Spock a slut, but in a nice Vulcan way. She said holding hands is like groping each other in public.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is more like an impassioned kiss, disregarding everything around you.” Spock said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you are a slut.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico!” Jim said, laughing. Spock nodded and shrugged, and Nico started laughing too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I tell T’Pina and crew about this conversation?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Spock raised an eyebrow, but simply said “If you must.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico grinned and grabbed his PADD, quickly typing it down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Nico, I think we have to discuss what you said at Sarek and Amanda’s.” Jim said softly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh? Which part?” he said, setting down his PADD, aware it was either calling himself a dick or talking about murder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You called yourself a dick. Do you really believe you’re not a good person?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. I’m on the right side of shit. I’m just also kinda a dick to people I don’t like. I always have to be right, and will pick fights to make sure it stays that way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t make you a dick.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That makes me a dick.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Spock, help me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jim is right. Just because you pick fights does not make you a bad person. In fact, considering your life, it’s what is to be expected.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My life?” Nico raised his eyebrows. “I did this before I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>istiben</span>
  </em>
  <span>. To my brother, people in school, hell, my parents.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You were a closeted trans child with hints of some sort of neurodivergency. It makes sense that you would have pent up anger and other feelings.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you noticed that too! Cool. I can’t get tested though.” he shrugged. “Whatever. Thanks, Spock.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not to psychoanalyze you, but you seem oddly chipper about troubling things.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s that, or a panic attack.” he did lazy sarcastic jazz hands. “Fun.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay?” Jim asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico picked up Froggy and hugged him close. “No. I’m, let’s see, depressed, probably have anxiety, most likely have ADHD. I’m also suicidal, which I probably should have told you before.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Suicidal?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not directly. If someone was to lay a razor blade in front of me, I wouldn’t slit my wrists, but the thought ‘I want to die’ takes up large parts of my day to day thought, and when I feel particularly bad it’s worse. While death scares me, the thought of being in a coma for a few months doesn’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jim was looking toward him with stark concern on his face, and Spock looked as alarmed as he could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ. You need a therapist.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico, are you sure it is wise for you to be in space? It is a long journey, and everyone aboard the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Enterprise</span>
  </em>
  <span> is an adult.” Spock said logically.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t return me, please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We wouldn’t dream of it.” Jim shot a glare at Spock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I do not think I would be able to send you back to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>dunes gistes tiem</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” Nico gave a small shakey smile, maybe fake. “You guys are really cool. Now can we just watch a holo and never speak of this again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to talk about this again, but we can just watch a holo now.” Jim said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. Do you want to watch the recently made remakes of </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lord of the Rings</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Nico proposed. “I love those movies. And the old ones, to be honest. The special effects and camera quality are old, but I just really fucking love </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lord of the Rings</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” he let his hands flap by his sides. Jim smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we can watch </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lord of the Rings</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Captain, we are coming up to Bast IV.” Spock said from his post. Jim spun around to smile at him, and then at Ambassador Thomas, and then at where Nico and Eli were quietly talking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very good, Mr. Spock. Ambassador Thomas, Mr. Spock and I will beam down with you and your family.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Captain Kirk.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico raised her hand. “Can I come? The Bastets have been proven to be an unhostile species, and they seem interesting. Plus, Eli, Lynn, and Grace can all beam down.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jim raised an eyebrow at Spock. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Can she?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I do not see a problem with it</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Spock responded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you can come, Mx. Wright.” Jim joked, and Nico grinned. “Maybe don’t wear that shirt.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico looked down at her shirt, for a band called Unlucky Aliens, part of the newer Queem music she had been getting into. It had their album cover for their album “BAD LUCK”, which featured a cat with eyes X-ed out. Yeah, maybe not the best shirt to wear on a planet with a species that appeared to be a cross between cats and humans.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go change.” she darted out of the bridge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In her room she shuffled through shirts, trying to find one that wasn’t too casual to meet the rulers of a planet, but wasn’t too formal, because she was going to be </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>next to her dads in their Starfleet issued formal outfits. She yanked off her hoodie and Unlucky Aliens shirt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She finally decided on a black button up and a purple tie and waistcoat with her typical black skinny jeans. She applied eyeliner and purple lipstick, before she prodded at her hair for several minutes. A ponytail or bun was too casual with hair as short as hers, but loose seemed too uncaring. She finally ran gel through it, getting rid of the natural part for a more masculine approach. Pinning two pronouns pins, one in English, one in Bastet, to her waistcoat she spun around in the mirror to confirm her outfit looked nice. Carefully she tucked a stim necklace, a chewy pentagram, into her shirt and put on a spinner ring and kandi bracelet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The door buzzed. “Come in!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was Jim, Spock, and Eli. Jim and Spock were in their Starfleet formal outfits, and Eli was wearing a pink button up with a green sweater over it. “You look nice.” Nico said to him. “And you two look like you need to ask Starfleet if you can have your own outfit choices.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you’ve said.” Jim said. “And you look nice as well, although if you swapped that purple for red you’d look like a Satanist.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.” She pulled out the necklace. “Hail Satan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ, Nico, put that away.” Nico sneered jokingly, but tucked the necklace back away. “Are you ready to go?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually I feel naked without a jacket, so I’m gonna grab my leather jacket.” she darted back into the room and pulled on a leather jacket, that she quickly put her pins on instead, shoving her other pins into her pocket just in case.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You look dashing.” Jim said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I better look like I’m about to overthrow homophobia on a planet that still has homophobia.” she corrected.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, Bast IV is a very progressive planet. Gay people are accepted, transgender too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Epic!” Nico resisted the urge to run her hand through her gelled hair. “We going?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The small group went to the transporter room, meeting up with Ambassador Thomas, Lady Rachel, Grace, and Lynn.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico felt mildly out of place. The Ambassador’s family was wearing more official Queem clothing, and Jim and Spock were wearing their formal clothing. Her, on the other hand, was wearing a more Terran clothing choice, and didn’t maybe look as presentable as the others. She started twisting the bracelet. Jim laid a comforting hand on her arm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They beamed down into a large throne room, right in front of the royal family. The Queen sat imposing in her throne, her two husbands, her two wives, and her two partners sitting in smaller thrones next to her. “Captain Kirk. Ambassador Thomas.” She purred.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico found the inhabitants of Bast IV to be equally horrifying and intriguing. They were almost humanoid, with their bodies looking human. But they also had fur, and cat ears. The closest comparison Nico could find was Cats (2019), but without bad CGI and wearing clothes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all got down on one knee. “Queen Aatun. Ladies Dinora and Kilala. Lords Chait and Tukuli. Royalty Namir and Chattan. I am honored to bring Ambassador Thomas to you for your trades with Queem.” Jim said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Queen Aatun. Ladies Dinora and Kilala. Lords Chait and Tukuli. Royalty Namir and Chattan. I am honored to visit Bast IV to trade with you.” Ambassador Thomas said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Very good. I am sorry to hear there is no term for a neither male nor female lord in your language.” Queen Aatun said as they rose.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am sorry, Queen Aatun, it is a failing. I promise to you that we indeed believe in genders other than male and female.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good. Introduce me to the children.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“These are my daughters, Grace and Lynn, and my child, Eli.” the triplets smiled and waved at the Queen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And this is me and Commander Spock’s child, Nico.” Nico smiled and inclined her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico looks like the ambassador.” Jim opened his mouth to explain, but Queen Aatun raised a hand. “They may tell me, Captain. Nico?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am adopted, your majesty. I am a Queem like Ambassador Thomas, and his wife and children, but my parents are the Captain and Commander. I was adopted when they were on Queem.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah. And they are good parents?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The best I’ve ever had.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You seem strange.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. I try to be.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Queen Aatun laughed. “Good job. You’re my child now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What.” Nico said, and Jim and Spock echoed her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She is mine now. I am allowed any child I want, I want her. Guards.” she inclined her head toward Nico.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico pressed her fingers to the inside of Spock’s wrist. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I can get out of this</span>
  </em>
  <span> she tried to send </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t jeopardize the trade deal. Queem needs those metals. I can get out of this. Just have someone get me a phaser set to stun.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The guards shoved her forward and she glanced back at them with panic in her eyes. Spock made no sign of getting her message. She hoped his shields hadn’t been up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was ‘escorted’ to a large lavish room by the guards. She scanned it, hoping for something she could use to get free, but the decorations all seemed to be screwed down. She sat on the floor, legs crossed, and closed her eyes under the guise of meditating.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After several minutes footsteps approached her and a loud voice demanded “What are you doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am meditating.” She said, not opening her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To be in control of my emotions.” that was Vulcans, but hopefully they didn’t know that. She slowly opened her eyes a crack. It was Lord Chait, with a large staff tied to his back. Perfect.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why must you control emotions?” he asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is an emotional thing. You have separated me from my parents.” Lord Chait turned around to the guards.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Make her stop!” he said. “I do not like to be spoken to by someone who is not looking with their eyes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico stood up and yanked the staff off his back and knocked him out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The guards made a strangled yelp of surprise, but only one ran forward. She knocked him out too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The second approached her with a phaser set to stun. “I was payed credits to do this by Mr. Spock.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is he still in the throne room, and is Queen Aatun still there as well?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I cannot say.” he said, but he nodded his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. Live long and prosper, dude.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What does that mean?” he asked, but she had already run out of the room with the staff and the phaser.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It took two right turns, a left turn, and a u turn to get back into the throne room, and even by then Nico didn’t know how she was going to do this. Drama wasn’t her forte. She was loud and dramatic, sure, but she wasn’t dramatic in a “I shall not stay” way. She wasn’t fucking Gandalf “You cannot pass!”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was Nico. So she’d do this in the Nico way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Queen Aatun!” she said loudly as she entered the room. “I have escaped.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are not a prisoner.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Seemed like it. Listen, I have your husband’s staff and a phaser, you aren’t getting out of this. Just let me return to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Enterprise</span>
  </em>
  <span> with my dads. That’s all I’m asking.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No! You are my child now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico raised the phaser. “I’m not.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No! Listen, I get it. You want a kid. Just adopt one that isn’t already adopted. It isn’t that hard.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A guard knocked the phaser out of her hand, and Queen Aatun smirked. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yisto</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” (fuck) Nico breathed, and raised the staff for seme.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Technically Nico was not old enough or strong enough to go against an adult male. She was fourteen, and while she was tall, the guard undeniably hulked over her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ka li jii finesti</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” (I am not scared) she spits, and this guard must have known Queem, because he leered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ya vinim hew</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” (you should be).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yisto ya</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” (fuck you!)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The guard didn’t respond, just swung with the staff. Nico blocked it easily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mrw gr</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” (try again) she spoke in Bastet that time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mm gwr</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” (I will) he responded, and then he hissed. She snarled back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fi jii ger ka</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” (do not try me). It was more gutsy that anything she was actually feeling, but confidence is key, right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They fought in very different styles, Nico only blocking, obviously afraid of doing any offense and leaving herself open.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the floor Jim looked like he was about to join the fray, but Spock held him back, but carefully pulled his phaser out, set it to stun, and handed it to Eli. “Give it to Nico.” he said quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Adults cannot do this without risking the trade deal. You, however, are a child.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eli grabbed the phaser and ran up to Nico, slipping it into her hand. Nico nodded at him, stepped back, and pointed the phaser at the guard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stop.” he stopped. “Thank you.” she swung the phaser around to point at Queen Aatun. “I’m going to go back to the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Enterprise</span>
  </em>
  <span>, with my dads. I am not your child. I am theirs.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The guard tried to knock the phaser out of her hands again. She sidestepped him. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Cem. Fi jii ger</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” (Please. Do not try).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ga-a-em</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” (bitch) he spat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ack</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” (yes) she sneered. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Acindu</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” (exactly).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jim and Spock watched them fight in mild confusion. Eli and Lynn were laughing. Grace, the ambassador, and Lady Rachel looked concerned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“May I have a communicator?” Nico said, glancing back at Jim and Spock. Jim tossed her his.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She snapped it open. “Scotty beam me, and only me, up, please.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everything okay, ladsie?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Please beam me up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She disappeared in a shower of gold sparkles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Everything fine?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, except I was kidnapped, and Jim and Spock couldn’t do shit because it would risk the trade deal but whatever.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I mean, I probably have to go to Bones to make sure I am okay, because I got in a fight with a buff adult man, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>kaiidth</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s Vulcan, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep! What is, is. I mean, I kinda use it as a swear word at this point, but it’s calming. Later, Scotty.” she hopped off the transporter pad, tossed him the phaser, and headed toward medbay.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When she entered, Bones looked up and said “Where’s Jim?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s still on Bast IV. Trade deals are still going on. I was kidnapped and then got into a fight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He scowled. “What the hell, kid.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The Queen was the one who wanted me as her kid, I had nothing to do with my good childlike aura.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sit on a bed, and you sound like Jim.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks.” She flopped down onto the bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sit.” he said, and she pushed upwards into a sitting position. He jammed a tricorder at her. “You’re fine. A few bruises, but fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Great! I have a favor to ask and I’ll pay you 3 credits.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do I want to know?” he groaned, and she nodded excitedly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh 3 credits is not enough for what I’m asking.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There are three things Jim noticed when Nico and Bones step onto the bridge.</span>
</p><p> </p><ol>
<li><span>Nico’s pronouns are they/them, and they’re wearing a flashy attention drawing pin.</span></li>
<li><span>Bones’ majorly fucked up.</span></li>
<li><span>Nico was absolutely the right choice for his kid.</span></li>
</ol><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bones, did you give Nico another piercing?” he asked. Bones sighed, and Nico grinned. “Bones, why?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They promised me three credits and a chance to piss you off.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nico, why?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wanted a cartilage piercing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Spock are you okay with this?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jim asked Spock over the bond.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I do not see the harm</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine. You can keep it. And it looks nice.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you! How did the trade negotiations go?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good. Queen Aatun said that Queem could have the metals they needed in exchange for allowing her to visit a </span>
  <em>
    <span>dunes gistes tiem</span>
  </em>
  <span> and adopt a child. Also she wants to be able to send you packages?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cool. Whatever. So, we going straight back to Queem?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually, there’s a party we have to go to tonight. You can come if you want, but before then, I thought we could explore the city.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I heard they have an exhibit on bog mummies at their museum. Could we see that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jim grinned and glanced at Spock. “Yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Epic!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Bog mummies were gross. Nico liked that. “It’s gross!” they said loudly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I assumed you would know that.” Spock said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah, I knew! It’s cool!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While Jim and Dr. McCoy seemed content in assuming that Nico’s personality felt like a mix between Jim’s and Spock’s, Spock felt like they were wrong. Nico, while simultaneously reckless, loud, shy, and intelligent, was more. For example, the fact they were drawing on their arms, having finished looking at everything in the exhibit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had changed out of formal wear and into something Spock would see if he googled eboy 2019. They wore a black and white striped shirt under a Panic! At the Disco t-shirt, ripped black jeans, combat boots, a chain and piece of black plaid hanging out of their pocket, a black hoodie tied around their waist, and a beanie with their pronoun pin. The only thing that stopped it from being an eboy </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>outfit was the fact Nico would complain that “emos did it first” if you told them that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nico really liked historical clothing. All their fashion choices seemed to be dictated by 2005 punk and emo style.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you finished with this exhibit?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Read everything and looked at everything. Can we see something else now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes. What are you drawing on your arms?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That bog mummy’s tattoo. Easiest way to have a curse put on you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Spock frowned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Joke, Spock. But if I do get a curse put on me.” they shrugged. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Kaiidth</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do not think you understand what kaiidth embodies.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure I do. If I get a curse put on me, I already drew the fucking tattoo. Can’t undo it. It is what it is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You… are not logical in your assumption, but you are not wrong either.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am not logical because I shouldn’t draw old, maybe cursed, bog mummy tattoos on myself?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll keep that in mind when I get cursed. Ohh, there's a gift shop. Can I get something?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Can I take them to the gift shop? They wish to purchase something.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Course, babe.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Thank you, ashayam.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just wait for me there, kay?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of course</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, we may purchase something at the gift shop.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Spock. You should get something for Jim.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I will.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They separated when they entered the shop. Nico headed for the jewelry and clothing, Spock to small trinkets he could give to Jim.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes Jim entered and headed to him. “Hey, Spock.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please go to where Nico is, I’m attempting to find you a small gift.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aww, I love you.” Jim pressed a kiss to Spock’s cheek and then headed after Nico.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Spock spared himself a moment to look up and smile after Jim.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Chosen something yet?” Jim asked Nico when he approached them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t decide between this necklace, this earring, or this fidget toy.” The necklace is the bog mummy’s tattoo, the earring also the tattoo, and the fidget toy is a small fidget cube that’s black with purple glitter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You can get them all.” Jim said, and Nico hugged him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you!” Nico skipped over to the checkout counter with him, where he paid for the trinkets in credits.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to go to the bathroom to put on the earrings.” Nico said, practically skipping out of the store.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jim smiled after them before going to rejoin his husband, who was slipping a small gift bag into his pocket.</span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
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